PN has always hated public spending 

Abela responded to allegations by the PN that his government had been irresponsible in its spending by claiming that the party had always had an aversion to public spending. 

“Do you know what your reaction to the budget was? You went and put up a billboard saying that this is the worst recession in 40 years. Let’s say you’re right and we have distributed all this wealth in the worst recession. If you’re saying the economy was better during your time, how do you explain the fact that all you did was increase bills and increase the deficit.”

He said the conclusion one was forced to arrive at was either that the PN was being dishonest about the present recession or that the PN was completely incompetent in government. “The truth is probably a bit of both.” 

Acknowledging that the cost of living had increased in recent months, he said that this was ultimately the result of factors beyond the government’s control, like an increase in international energy prices. 

“Had the inflation been partly created by the government I would have understood the criticism but the truth is prices of fuel and other commodities are increasing at a fast rate all across Europe.” 

Impotence comment was hurtful 

Referring to Grech’s use of the term impotent while making a point during yesterday’s debate – a storm in a teacup concocted by the Labour Party over the course of the day – Abela accused the Opposition of being hurtful.

“You thought you were going to be funny but you have no idea how many people you have hurt. You have no idea how insensitive that was,” Abela said. 

“The person you described as impotent (Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne) is the same person that the World Health Organises praises and looks to as a model.”  

12 gaming licenses issued since greylisting

Abela referred to Malta’s greylisting by the FATF, telling Parliament that his government had continued working hard to ensure Malta is removed from the list as soon as possible. 

He accused the PN of attempting to instill fear in the country. I’m not going to say there weren’t sectors that asked questions and requested certain assurances,” Abela said. “However they assured us that the competence we had shown had put their mind at rest.” 

Malta would continue to work hard, Abela said, adding that he would not be making any “childish statements”, like the PN’s claim it would get the country off the list in three months.

He did, however, emphasise the need for a just society, in which everyone pays their dues to society. 

Abela also accused the PN of being the only entity that believed Malta was the worst place in the world, insisting that despite the fear-mongering, 12 gaming licenses had been issued since the summer, with a number of companies also choosing to relocate to Malta. 

Environment to become a main priority

The Prime Minister said that his country’s vision was that of a country in which construction, aesthetics and the environment were complementary to each other. 

“I see a Malta and Gozo rich not only financially, but also when it comes to the natural environment,” Abela said. 

He acknowledged that the environment had been neglected for many years. “Maybe economic growth was more of a priority in the past.”

However, he said it was now time for the country to learn to adapt to challenges like climate change, which he described as being more concerning than the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Above all, he said there was a need for the country to have more green and open spaces in order to ensure a good quality of life for its people. 

“Today this country has new priorities and we showed this in the budget,” Abela said, adding that all the measures announced in the budget had been targeted to address specific issues.  

He insisted there was no need for the country to have to choose between the environment and construction. “We simply need to reach new standards. Higher standards apply to everyone. Those who think there is a law for them only, will have to deal with the law.” 

PN would have taxed cars 

Turning to transport, Abela said that with emissions from energy generation brought under control as a result of the interconnector and the country’s gas-fired power station, Abela said the challenge was now to reduce emissions from transport. 

He said the announcement of a study into the viability of a metro system had instigated many debates. 

“This was precisely what we wanted. Among the concerns was that related to land reclamation,” Abela said, adding that this was to some extent inevitable for Malta. 

The metro project was a feasible one and one which made sense, he said, noting that it was now up to the country to decide. “We don’t want our children to look back and say that the government didn’t take action when it should have.” 

While the discussion was underway, the government would continue coming up wth immediate-term transport solutions, including paving the way for the country’s proposed shift to electric vehicles. 

Had it been the PN in government, Abela said he had no doubt that it would have opted to increase taxes and license fees. “They would have made it impossible to own a car.”

Instead, the government had opted to pay practically half the cost of an electric car to anyone that wanted to make the change. 

Choice in people’s hands 

Abela concluded by reiterating his belief that it was only Labour that could lead the country to prosperity. 

The choice now, he said, was in the hands of the people. “The decisions we have to make are too big to be left in the wrong hands. You aren’t capable of agreeing amongst yourselves, let alone running the country,” Abela told Opposition MPs. 

He appealed to people to “step forward and give their contribution to the country”. 

“The pandemic has shown us the importance of a competent pair of hands leading the government,” he said. 

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